Westport Town Meeting easily passes close to $30 million budget

WESTPORT — A $29.7 million budget passed easily at the annual Town Meeting Tuesday, although an audience member's questions about the rising cost of health care spurred discussion.

PEGGY AULISIO

WESTPORT — A $29.7 million budget passed easily at the annual Town Meeting Tuesday, although an audience member's questions about the rising cost of health care spurred discussion.

Lisa Arnold, chairwoman of the Finance Committee, said the budget uses up "all the $650,000 of free cash remaining after covering fiscal 2009 deficits." She said it does not include any money for wage increases that may result from negotiations with four town unions whose contracts expire June 30.

Arnold said most town departments are level funded or below last year's levels; the schools will be getting $100,000 over the net minimum spending required by the state.

The school budget did include funding for salary increases for teachers who have already come to an agreement. The teachers' union agreed to no raises except for those at the top of their pay grade, who receive 0.5 percent.

Eileen Sheehan, who is on the Personnel Board, asked what the town was doing to control the cost of health and life insurance, which make up about 10 percent of the town budget. She said these costs alone have risen by more than $300,000 in one year.

Town Administrator Michael J. Coughlin said the town employee unions rejected a lower-cost option that required higher co-pays and other changes.

He said the Board of Selectmen will study the state insurance system for municipal employees this year and that the "push" will be for most municipalities to participate in that plan.

John Baughan of the Finance Committee said health and insurance costs make it the "second highest department" after the school budget. "That is the 800-pound gorilla." He said the town must "find solutions and don't just let us bleed to death."

Among the handouts was one in support of retaining the 2 percent Community Preservation Act surcharge on property taxes. A petition article, which had not come to the floor by press time, calls for discontinuing the town's participation.

The handout stated the average cost to taxpayers is $48 a year and that the town has spent about $1.5 million for nearly $6 million in approved projects. The rest comes from the state matching funds — 100 percent at the inception of the program reduced considerably since — plus funding from the Westport Land Conservation Trust and other sources.

Those who want the CPA discontinued say it has become a burden on taxpayers.

When the Board of Selectmen met just before the meeting began, town counsel David Jenkins said if Town Meeting voted to discontinue the surcharge, it would still have to go before voters in a town election.

Also before Town Meeting began, Coughlin reported Highway Surveyor Harold J. Sisson Jr. had officially dropped his lawsuit against selectmen. Sisson was suing over what he called the board's interference in his firing of a Highway Department truck driver.

Coughlin said Sisson's attorney, Kenneth S. Mello of Fall River, had contacted town counsel at 4 p.m. and told him he had notified Fall River Superior Court of Sisson's decision.

Sisson has a petition article on the warrant asking for the town to pay his legal bills. It was being debated at press time.

Town Meeting voters also approved the Noquochoke Village overlay district, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the Disabilities Commission and the recommendations by the Community Preservation Committee for about $500,000 in spending.

The Noquochoke overlay district allows for higher density affordable housing to be built on a town-owned parcel on Route 177. The trust fund provides a mechanism for the town to accept donated properties that it can then use to increase its percentage of affordable housing.

The recommendations of the Community Preservation Committee include helping the Westport Land Conservation Trust buy 3.5 acres for the Brookside Conservation Project and restoring the Grange, among other projects.

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